212 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



securing tliis article appears to have been the sliip Alliance, which sailed 

 from New Bedford in 1803 for Patagonia, and returned home in 1804 

 with a full cargo of oil. This was the pioneer of a large number of 

 vessels sailing to the Patagonian coast for sea-elephant oil. That 

 coast seems to have been abandoned about 1820 for the South Shet- 

 land Islands, which for seventeen years furnished many cargoes to the 

 fur-sealers sailing from Stonington. Since 1837 Desolation or Ker- 

 guelen Island has furnished the great bulk of the sea-elephant oil. 

 Heard Island has furnished many cargoes since 1857, but on account 

 of the exposed situation of that island vessels do not usually go there 

 when a cargo is obtainable elsewhere. South Georgia, South Shet- 

 lands, and the Patagonian coast also have many sea-elephants and 

 are occasionally visited b}^ the hunters, but the great bulk of the 

 catch has been obtained at Desolation Island. 



Although the taking of sea-elephant oil originated with the Nan- 

 tucket whalers, it has been peculiarl}^ a New London industry since 

 1820, the neighboring ports of Stonington and Mystic furnishing a 

 number of vessels during certain seasons. From 1820 until the pres- 

 ent time 94 per cent of all the voyages have been made by vessels 

 from these three ports, and 80 per cent have been made by the New 

 London vessels. The fleet was largest in 1858 and 1859, 18 vessels, 

 with an aggregate tonnage of 4,527 tons, being employed in 1858, and 

 20 vessels, with 4,461 tons measurement, in 1859. 



The last vessel to return with a cargo was the brig Leonora, which 

 arrived in 1902 with 2,900 barrels of oil and a quantity of hides. In 

 1900 the schooner Roberts. Graham brought in 2,600 barrels of oil 

 and 70 hides, the oil selling at 38 cents i^er gallon and the hides at 

 $2 each. In 1898 the bark Swallow, of Boston, returned with 2,000 

 barrels of oil, the i)roduct of 4,000 sea-elephants secured during the 

 three months of the summer of 1897-98. 



According to Capt. James W. Budington, of Groton, Conn., to whom 

 we are indebted for most of the subjoined data relative to metliods of 

 capture and of oil-rendering, sea-elephant blubber is somewhat whiter 

 than whale blubber, and ranges in thickness from 1 to 8 inches, accord- 

 ing to the size and condition of the individual. It is thickest on the 

 males, especially the "March bulls," from the neck of whicli 10-inch 

 blubber has been secured. On the cows the thickness is fi-om 2 to 3 

 inches and on the pups it is much less. 



Much variation exists in the yield of oil from sea-elephants. The 

 quantity secured from the March bulls taken shortly after they land 

 is very large, amounting sometimes to 220 gallons from a single indi- 

 vidual. Only a small number of this varietj^ is secured. The Novem- 

 ber bulls yield from 100 to 120 gallons each early in the season, but 

 after remaining on the shore for montlis, abstaining from food, thej^ 

 become emaciated, and yield scarcely more than 30 gallons. The prod- 

 uct from females and pups is mucli smaller, some of the pups yielding 

 only 4 or 5 gallons, especially Avhen the season is well advanced, thus 



